MILWAUKEE, Wis. – An Appleton man, William B. Bowers, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. This comes after Bowers was released onto supervision following a previous conviction for two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child in 1999. He was sentenced to 20 years in state prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

In February 2020, concerns were raised after sexually suggestive websites were discovered bookmarked on Bowers’ computer. An investigation revealed that he was active on numerous illicit websites and social media applications, in violation of the terms of his state supervision and his rules as a lifetime sex offender registrant. Further investigations revealed that Bowers’ devices contained child sexual abuse material, leading to his guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography in May 2023.

During sentencing, Judge William Griesbach emphasized the serious nature of the crime, particularly in light of Bowers’ history of child sexual abuse. As a result, Bowers will spend the remainder of his life on supervised release after serving his 15-year prison sentence, and he must continue to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to combat the circulation and possession of child pornography, while also highlighting the strict legal measures in place to address such offenses. The sentencing reflects the severity of the crime and aims to ensure the protection of children from exploitation.